#de morgan centre

[lionofchaeronea]

S.O.S., Evelyn de Morgan, 1914-16

[galleryofart]

Helen of Troy

Artist: Evelyn De Morgan (English, 1855–1919)

Genre: Mythological Painting

Date: 1898

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: De Morgan Centre

Description:

In Greek mythology, Helen was the daughter of Zeus (King of the Gods) and Leda (a human). Legend has it that Helen (the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta) was carried away by Paris (the son of the King of Troy), an act which precipitated the siege and destruction of Troy. Some writers have suggested that Helen eloped with Paris and was a willing participant in the tragedy. But this painting show Helen as innocent of any wrongdoing, surrounded by doves of peace and the white roses of Aphrodite (the goddess of love), whilst gazing into a mirror bearing the image of Aphrodite.

[mote-historie]

1898 Helen of Troy, by Evelyn De Morgan (English, 1855-1919). Oil on canvas.  De Morgan Centre, London.

[dandanjean]

Centre de vie religieuse

Ce programme est une exploration épique et une réflexion intime sur Dieu présentée par Morgan Freeman. Chaque épisode se concentre sur une grande question concernant le divin. Chaque épisode aborde une grande question concernant le divin dans lequel il prend part à des expériences et des rituels religieux à travers le monde. Centre de vie religieuse

[egypt-museum]

Princess Khenmet necklace

The necklace of Khenmet is surmounted by a strand of gold beads of increasing diameter towards the centre, consisting of six rows of gold beads. Four rows are formed by the succession of the hieroglyphs ankh, was, djed, symbolising life, power, stability respectively. At the ends of the necklace are attached two exquisite gold falcon heads.

This particular necklace was likely made to be worn by Khenmet in her lifetime, or it could have been intended as part of her burial goods to accompany her in the afterlife. Jewelry like this would have been a symbol of wealth, status, and divine favor, common to royal individuals.

Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1932-1898 BC. Discovered in April 1894 by Jacques de Morgan. From the Tomb of Khenmet, Funerary Complex of Amenemhat II at Dahshur. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 30942

Read more

[antonio-m]

"Phosphorus and Hesperus” (Morning star and Evening Star), c.1881 by Evelyn De Morgan (1855–1919). British artist. The De Morgan Centre, Guildford, Surrey, England. oil on canvas

[mythologypaintings]

Boreas and Oreithyia

Artist: Evelyn De Morgan (English, 1855–1919)

Date: 1896

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: De Morgan Centre, London

Description:

Evelyn de Morgan continually revisited the theme of mythology during the first three decades of her working career, no doubt this was in part due to the theme being equally popular with the art market of the day.

In this painting Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind, is represented as usual as a winged man of mature age, with hair floating in the wind. According to the legend, he carried off Oreithyia (daughter of Erechtheus) from the banks of the Ilissus and by her had several children. However, Evelyn’s portryal of Boreas is sensitive and tender in comparision with more the more standard bachanelean treatments of the character.

The model for Boreas was the professional artist’s model Alessandro di Marco. By this time he was heading towards the end of his life as a model however he is most notably known for his appearance as Merlin in Edward Burne-Jone’s The Beguling of Merlin (1872-77) painted some two decades earlier. According to the artist George Richmond, he was ‘the living embodiment of a classical sculpture’ and Evelyn’s representation of him llustrates that even later in life his figure conforms to artistic ideals of masculine beauty.

[evolvingsidekick]

BD - winners where are they now (incomplete)

I think someone requested this somewhere

Most females and recent males because there are just too many to do rn

At companies:

Miriam Gittens (s2013): Gibney Company

Alyssa Allen (s2014): Ballets Jazz Montreal

Brianne Sellars (s2014): Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Ashley Green (s2015): Alvin Ailey American dance Theater

Payton Johnson (j2012, t2015, s2017): L.A. Dance Project

Vivian Ruiz (s2019): Ballet BC

Kelis Robinson (t2018, s2020): The Batsheva Dance Company; The Juilliard School

Kiarra Waidelich (m2016, j2018, t2020): Royal Flux Company

Quinn Starner (t2017): New York City Ballet Corps de Ballet

Emma Sutherland (j2014, t2016): MashUp Contemporary Dance Co.

Sarah Pippin (t2011): Ballet BC

Timmy Blankenship (s2017): Sydney Dance Company; choreographer

Brady Farrar (m2014, j2017, t2021): ABT Junior Company

Easton Magliarditi (t2020): Royal Flux Company

Graham Feeny (t2015): Artistic associate at Gibney Company

Logan Hernandez (t2015): Göteborgs Operans Danskompani

Zenon Zubyk (t2013): Nederlands Dans Theater

Jonathan Wade (j2011, s2016): Rambert Dance Company

Wyeth Walker (s2017): Rubberband Dance Company

Faculty/teacher/choreography:

Lucy Vallely (t2015, s2018): Broadway Dance Center, freelance choreographer

Jayci Kalb ( j2011, t2014, s2016): The Dance Centre; Radio City Clara 2010

Taylor Sieve (s2016): Jump Dance Convention

Jenna Johnson (s2012): DWTS pro, 24 Seven Dance Convention

Jazzmin James (t2012, s2015): faculty several intensives

Jaycee Wilkins (j2015): Club Dance Studio

Sophia Lucia (j2014): Dancelab OC

Brynn Rumfallo (m2014): Strive Dance Workshop (own project)

Talia Seitel (m2012): Project 21 (part-time)

Lex Ishimoto (t2014, s2016): Jump Dance Convention

at University/college:

Ellie Wagner (s2019): Ohio State University Dance Team

Ella Horan (s2021): USC Kaufman

Kayla Mak (m2014, s2021): The Juilliard School; Radio City Clara 2014, 2015

Brianna Keingatti (s2022): The Juilliard School

Julia Lowe (s2023): USC Kaufman

Ava Wagner (j2018): University of Minnesota Dance Team

Avery Gay (m2015, j2017): University of Arizona School of Dance

Leara Stanley (m2011): Duke University

Sam Fine (s2023): USC Kaufman; Young Arts 2022

Seth Gibson: The Juilliard School

Alex Shulman (s2022): New York University Tisch Dance

Joziah German (m2014, t2018, s2020): The Juilliard School

Joey Gertin (t2018): The Juilliard School

Professional dancer/choreographer:

Simrin Player (t2014, s2017): The Voice, Missy Elliot, Justin Bieber, RBD

Jaxon Williard (s2021): Rihanna, Madonna, Lil Nas X

D'Angelo Castro (j2012, t2016, s2019): DWTS troupe

Findlay Mcconnell (t2017, s2019): Tate McRace

Christian Smith (s2018): Tate McRae, NBC's Saved by the Bell

Keanu Uchida (s2014): Dancer the Musical; also a big advocate for protecting dancers and calling out inappropriate behaviour

Eric Schloesser (s2014): Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, J Balvin; choreographer, creative director, designer; Dana Foglia Dance Company

Other/a combo of things:

Bianca Melchior (s2011): actor, dancer, singer; Nick Jonas, Alessia Cara, own music; faculty at On The Floor dance competition

Tate McRae (m2013, j2015, t2018): singer/songwriter

Bostyn Brown (j2016, t2019): Professional assistant at DanceOne

Megan Goldstein (t2017); dancer, photographer

Christina Ricucci (t2013): actor, musician, dancer

Bella Klassen (j2017): The Space, vlogger

Kalani Hilliker (j2013): influencer, teaching at several places (Danceplex, MBA)

Elliana Walmsley (m2018): influencer, DWTS Junior, Radio City Clara 2019

Diana Pombo (m2016): singer/songwriter, dancer, actor; Young Arts voice 2023+2024

Morgan Higgins (t2016, s2018): dancer, aerialist

Zelig Williams (s2013):dancer/actor: MJ the Musical, Hamilton

Daniel Gaymon (s2011): dancer/actor; Broadway (Cats, The Lion King); Hamilton national tour, La La Land

Ricky Ubeda (t2011, s2012): choreographer, actor; Steven Spielberg's West Side Story

Michael Hall (s2015): Saturday Night Fever the Musical, tv dancer in Cairo, Egypt; teacher

Julian Elia (t2014): Steven Spielberg's Westside Story, working on the development of a new Broadway musical

Sage Rosen (t2016): influencer; DWTS Junior

Ryan Maw (j2015, t2017): choreographer, dancer, actor: High School Musical: The Musical - The Series

Holden Maples (j2016, t2019): dancer, teacher, choreographer

Competing/not graduated honorable mentions:

Cameron Voorhees (m2018, j2021, t2023): Evolve Dance Complex; starting career as a teacher/choreographer

Crystal Huang (m2019, j2021, t2023): The Rock Center for Dance, Bayer Ballet Academy; Prix De Lausanne 2024, Young Arts 2024, Radio City Clara 2021

Hailey Bills (m2017, t2022): Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, DWTS Junior

Brightyn Brems (m2017): DWTS Junior

Avery Hall (t2022): Danceology; Young Arts 2023

Savannah Kristich (t2021): The Rock Center For Dance; Twyla Now

Savannah Manzel (m2020): Larkin Dance Studio, Radio City Clara 2023

Kya Massimino (m2021): Radio City Clara 2023

Ian Stegeman (m2019, j2021, t2023): Woodbury Dance Center, Young Arts 2024

[trulybetty]

dec' x 21 - wrapping paper

Prompt: wrapping paper Pairing: dieter x ofc!bryony Word Count: 993 Warnings: domestic fluff, tiny bit of French you can Google translate if you wish, it's also dieter - he has his own warnings Summary: Dieter and Bryony put up the tree - nothing much else to it. I was inspired heavily by one of @wildemaven's moodboards for this! AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

A/N: still not well, but have enough whereabouts to post what's already written over the next couple of days, so if you're following along at home - enjoy!

Dieter, with a flourish, finished draping the last strands of tinsel around a gold-framed black and white portrait of Dolly Parton, one of many that decorated the living room wall. It brought a touch of kitsch to the holiday decor that was already out and filling the living room.

“Dieter, there’s tinsel everywhere” Bryony laughed, plucking a stray piece from her hair.

“It’s Christmas Daff,” he offered up as if explanation enough, “If tinsel isn’t sticking to you by the end of it, have you even decorated?” he retorted.

Dieter, ever the enthusiast for the festive season, had already placed the giant nutcracker hippos on the driveway, much to Bryony’s chagrin. “Every time I see those monstrosities,” she had muttered more than once, “I have dreams of running them down with my car.” She knew she’d never actually do it – partly because of the security cameras, and partly because deep down, they were a bizarre but endearing part of their Christmas traditions now.

But mostly because of the security cameras.

The tree stood tall and grand in the corner of the room, its branches bare and awaiting adornment. Boxes of decorations lay open at their feet, a mishmash of colours and styles, each with its own story. No real theme present, just an eclectic mix of both of their tastes.

Bryony with her elegant and timeless decor complimented Dieter’s ostentatious rainbow of decorations ranging from vintage baubles to a rubber duck dressed as Elvis.

Bryony picked up a bauble, inspecting it with a smile. “Do you remember this one?” she asked, holding up the glittery ornament. “We got it at that Christmas market in Cardiff.”

Dieter raised a pointed eyebrow, “How could I forget? You spent twenty minutes deciding between that one and another one that looked exactly the same.”

Then, Dieter reached into a box and pulled out a series of hippo-themed decorations. “Ah, the pièce de résistance,” he declared, holding them up for Bryony to see.

She groaned playfully. “No not the hippos again, please? Can we have a reprieve this year?”

He gasped dramatically, “Bryony Morgan, it's tradition!" he said in a very rare instance of using her full name as she rolled her eyes.

“Fine.” she conceded, not that she’d have any real say as three hippos had already graced the tree in the time it’d taken her to object.

Finally, the tree was a riot of colours, lights, and memories—every ornament had its place, and every light twinkled in merriment. Dieter stepped back, a satisfied grin on his face.

“Now for the passementerie,” he declared.

The sound of rustling paper drew Bryony's attention. Dieter had disappeared for a moment, only to return with an armful of gifts, each wrapped in paper that was undeniably Dieter—bright, bold, and bordering on the obscene.

Bryony eyed the wrapping paper warily as Dieter began placing the gifts under the tree. “Dieter, what is on that wrapping paper?”

He looked up, an impish grin on his face. “Oh, you know, just some tasteful nudes. Quite artistic, really.”

Bryony squinted at the paper, “Artistic?” she asked as she got an eyeful of a black and white sketched erect penis with holly framing its balls. 

Dieter beamed with pride. “It's a festive little number I found online. Quite avant-garde, don't you think?”

“This is for my gifts?” she asked, wondering why she was even questioning it.

“Who else?” he chuckled, placing a particularly large gift front and center, two large breasts framed the centre of the gift above a bright pink bow. “Only the best for you, Daff,” Dieter replied, winking at her.

Before Bryony could formulate a response, something caught her eye. Hanging among the branches, nestled between the lights and tinsel, was a small Cartier box, its red hue unmistakable. She hadn’t noticed it when they were finishing up the tree, she was sure she wouldn’t have missed it.

“Dieter, what's this?” she asked, her voice suddenly soft.

He came up behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder. 

“Oh, that old thing?” Dieter feigned nonchalance, but the twinkle in his voice betrayed his excitement. “Just a little something for you.”

Bryony’s voice caught in the back of her throat, it was a box big enough to be any number of things. The whispers of the tinsel seemed to quieten as she unhooked the box, her mind racing with the possibilities of what lay inside.

Dieter's presence behind her was a solid reassurance, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “Go on, open it.”

She glanced back at him, searching his eyes for a clue. “Dieter, this isn't…” Her voice trailed off, the unspoken question hanging between them.

He shook his head, a gentle smile softening his features. “Not yet,” he said with a quiet conviction that made her heart skip a beat. “But when the time comes, and it will, it's going to be everything you deserve and more.”

With deliberate care, Bryony opened the box, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Inside lay a delicate necklace, its simplicity and elegance a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of their Christmas tree. It was beautiful – a classic and understated piece. While the exact opposite of Dieter, much like Bryony herself, so very much him in its thoughtfulness.

“Wow–I don’t know what to say,” she managed to breathe out.

“Well that’s a first for you Daff.”

She fixed him with a look before tracing the outline of the solo square diamond that hung delicately on the white gold chain, “It’s beautiful Dieter, thank you.”

Dieter's hand lifted to cradle her jaw, his thumb tracing her cheek. “Just like you mon chéri.”

Bryony lifted her hair as she allowed him to clasp the necklace around her throat, the cool weight of it felt like a comfort as he adjusted it to sit just right.

Dieter leaned in, his forehead resting against hers. “Merry Christmas, Bryony,” he murmured.

[2emeagauche]

Cabine du bateau "la Morgane" des Phares et Balises de la baie de Morlaix avec mon arrière grand-père au centre vers les années 40 / 50

[dwestfieldblog]

LUNATICS RUN THE ASYLUM

(I began this in late October before the election and don’t want to edit, just to insert what a great victory for Putin in the USA eh? The End starts here. Wilhelm Reich was right. Ever read The Psychology of Fascism? Do.)

See Trump ‘dancing’ on stage for thirty minutes like a tacky cruise ship comedian, hear him say the January 6th 2021 riots were ‘a day of beauty and love’? A deranged liar, a racist, sexual scumbag, mocker of afflictions, disparager of captured soldiers, fondler of his daughter, friend of Epstein…a deeply corrupted, petulantconvicted criminal who should be in prison, or at very least a mental hospital having straitjacketed remedial English lessons. Never let a man with a small dick (or one testicle) be the Fuhrer. And he wants Robert F Kennedy, a loony who was against covid vaccines etc, to be in charge of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention etc. Selling bleach cures?

Doubling down on all his pet eating nonsense and boasting of using ‘the weave’ when he delivers speeches and interviews…rather than the insane ramblings of a bigoted idiot. The ‘weave’? As if he is a master story teller with arcs and plot lines only he can perceive with random surrealist chaos. His weave is a tangled web of malignant and despicable lies. … The orange Don praised Hitler’s generals for their loyalty and ranting about ‘enemies within’ needing to have the army turned on them. General Mark Milley said; ‘(Trump) is the most dangerous person to this country…a fascist to the core’. And sofa humping Vance the Vice called him the ‘candidate of peace’. Christ on a trampoline.

So, a fascist German teams up with a South African racist, what could go wrong? The world’s richest man with the cheapest soul, AKA ‘Free speech’ (unless you disagree with him) Misinformation Musk jumping up and down on stage beside him, crying that if Trump loses, it ‘will be the last election’. As if Kamala is going to go all totalitarian in the USA. Perhaps ‘Dark Maga’ has his eye on a future presidency…his appalling interview with (yes, that’s right, Tucker Carlson the Putin fellating lapdog) was almost all inverse to actual facts and wilfully blind to what DT has actually said and done…and the evil direction to which he moves. So much for ketamine Elon. Trump is the ‘antichrist’.

Musk (who has top secret security clearance in the US) has been in regular contact with Putin since 2022. Baldie recently asked Musk not to deploy the Starlink internet system for Taiwan as a favour to his mate President Xi. Lovely people. Meanwhile Elon started to bribe folk one by one in the swing state Pennsylvania with one-million-dollar lottery gifts. That’s how desperate he is/was for the toupéed man baby to win. At the same time hoping the US will default on its deficit in January because he (and Trump) can make a mint with gold and crypto and become de facto Masters of North America. ‘Normal’ people losing their jobs and savings are irrelevant to these filth-pig ass clowns, yet these are the ones who are the most gullible to Donalds tangled weave and will vote for their own redundancy. Like turkeys voting for Christmas.

The whole crap sack of main Trump fans are deranged. Musk, Vance, Majorie Taylor Greene (she of the ‘Jewish space lasers’ idea) the evil ugly bitch ‘proud Islamophobe’ Laura (‘If Kamala wins, the White House will smell like curry’) Loomer, the grifters and utter cowards of the Republican party, Mike Johnson, Fox News, the corrupted judges, nutjobs R F Kennedy and Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, the Proud Boys aka the KKK, the foul coven of unholy money worshipping evangelicals, those in the UK who support him…Russell Brand, Lawrence Fox, Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson, Piers Morgan, Boris, and around the world, Orban the toad in Hungary, Netanyahu the corrupt, Kim Wrong ‘Un and of course Putin, who needs his fat Caligula gimp back in power.

By his sycophants and masters, shall thee know him.

One of Putin’s billionaire shoeshine boys, Bidzina Ivanishvili of the Georgian Dream party has promised a ‘Nuremberg trial’ of the opposition parties if he wins. (The recent election seems doubtful but it is always the way that the older and the rural will vote more than the younger. He wants to turn the country into another Belorussia…Many old fools miss Stalin; the good old days of show trials, neighbours denouncing each other…dragged screaming into the past.

China and India continue to buy Russian oil and gas and thus support the orc invasion, London is still laundering oligarch money, Iran sent attack drones and ballistic missiles to Russia…who then complain about the West sending munitions. Both sides fighting a proxy war, seems safer that way for the rest of us than going nuclear. So far. Putin has sent the first of a possible ten thousand north Korean troops to be cannon fodder in Ukraine as well as early release for Russian prisoners of all ages if they fight. And as for the Middle East…. Arg.

Arg. Perhaps it is because this year I finally realised how old I am/appear to be, and all which that entails…and am projecting my sense of dread into apocalyptic visions of total dystopia. BUT. It really does seem as if the dark forces are coalescing and metastasizing all over the world.  The Bastards will never earn respect through fear but will be increasingly paranoid power mad energy vampires seeking complete control. Full spectrum dominance indeed. And all the Ego Immortals will live forever on a Musk space station, uploaded as cyber souls in a virtual paradise with E Lon as The Creator. What is left of humanity will be enslaved (to an even greater degree than before), working to extract the very last goodness from the planet to build the machines…rhodium in its high-speed state and white powder gold and etc. Arg.

All those who fell for the con trick of ‘it’s us against the Illuminati/New World Order and the corrupt old system’, who voted against their democracies and for the axe, will be confused to find themselves in a corrupt system of a real New World Order where their lives have blatantly zero value other than as slaves. A planet run by types such as Putin, Xi, Trump and Musk. The twisted, evil and insane men will spin this globe into a nightmare holocaust of oblivion. So, congratulations suckers. Here is your world, now eat your own excrement.

‘Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world, than the pride that divides when a cloth or rag is unfurled’.  Neil Peart. Damn right. And no religions too.

Seems likely that my future postings will stick to writing about everything other than politics, religion and totalitarianism. Perhaps a goulash of multicoloured collage stuff from here on out. Diaries, musings, ‘poetry’, memories and recommendations… staying weird but without all the endless ranting. Might be healthier for us perhaps.

Right now (October 31st) I feel the world as we knew it in terms of basic Western democracy is very close to being destroyed by the machinations of the East, but mostly thanks to the greedy scum over here aided by the badly educated drones who yearn at heart for the forced order of tyranny. As long as they feel a ‘purpose’ to their lives. Which will be to serve those who declare themselves their betters, with the liar’s promise of a better life in return for complete acquiescence, obeisance and obedience. Or else.

Nothing seems to have changed much in human evolution, it is the same do-do, just more fake alpha males like scared children seeking total control for their own security.  Bastards leading idiots, revolutions turning…into the system.  Primate survival updated with weapons of mass destruction and harnessing viruses. Enough money BUYS ‘justice’, rich criminals are never punished, con merchant priests still fool their flocks with utter bullshit to get their cash and bathe in hero worship.

The best minds are ridiculed, mistrusted, absorbed and diluted by the mainstream or worse by the dumbest neophobes. Art, theatre, writing, science, collectively the humanities, regarded with suspicion, too gay, too intellectual, progress is the Devil. Only soundbite Tik Tok bread and circuses reality tv gameshow soap operas are acceptable. Short attention spans are encouraged, so as to blind-side the public to the perpetual ‘find the lady’ con trick perpetuated by the State.

Humans are easy to rile up and manipulate when they are desperate, so to the ruling classes (and those who would be so) it is always worth keeping their citizens and voters on a knife edge of stress via finance, health and existential threats. Those who think Trump will root out the ‘deep state’ blah blah and take power from the rich are going to have a rude awakening from the American Dream, as he will just keep the money where it always stays. With the plutocracy. The billionaire tax dodgers who demand you pay them to exist.

The East has taken its revenge and infiltrated the West to the extent that its own people are turning against themselves in the name of patriotism and ‘God’. Their puppets are numbered heavily among the leaders on the Right and the rising populists…traitors who are selling out their countries for power, status and wealth. The mass who supports them are usually the mentally vulnerable, those who have been encouraged to be scared and angry among the elderly, the young and the working classes, and the middle class who feel their comfortable lifestyle is in danger.

All are being manipulated by actual, genuine enemies to divide and conquer for them. Break up Europe, the United Nations, NATO, Britain and North America…Trigger events to cause a steady flow of endless refugees so all member states are deeply freaked by foreigners. ‘There are no natives anywhere in the world – everyone is from somewhere else – all people are refugees, immigrants or aliens.’ George Carlin

‘Think for yourself, question ‘reality’, question ‘authority’ Practice good mental operational security…critical thinking. Ignoring actual global warming as we bury deeper into virtual reality and tik tok dumbing down with absolute denial, Sidestep the madness, close down and go within. Remain in this world to work but with as much amused detachment as you can manage. The scared children have voted for what they believe will bring security. Not much of that when daddy is crazy. Poison is often part of the cure but Trump is just corrosion. So, over the Rubicon we go. ‘Russia can do whatever the hell it wants’. They will. Their carefully placed and financed useful idiots/ poleznye idiot in high places in the West will take the gold and betray..

So, no more politics from here on out. Enough already. The present is tense, so love, laugh, learn and live, Reconnect. Love again…and remember…

‘Magnetic and gravitational fluctuations appear to cause the majority of occult phenomena and alter brain wave patterns…psychic windows, hallucinations external and mental.’  Stay fine😊

[dustedmagazine]

Under the Radar: Jim Marks' Year-end List for 2023

Samuel Leipold, Jürg Bucher, Lucca Lo Bianco

The stream of great new music is constant and impossible to keep up with. Inevitably, some of it goes largely unnoticed. My year-end list consists of releases that I really enjoyed but didn’t get around to writing about and haven’t seen reviewed elsewhere in English. They are presented in no particular order.

Samuel Leipold, Jürg Bucher, Lucca Lo Bianco — Ostro (Ezz-thetics)

This trio of clarinet, double bass, and guitar delivers atmospheric free jazz. Experimental without being confrontational (included is a choice Jimmy Giuffre cover), Ostro offers a rarely heard sound palette and consistently interesting arrangements.

Luis Ribeiro — A Inven​ç​ã​o da Fic​ç​ã​o (Porta Jazz)

The Porta Jazz label out of Portugal released fewer records than usual this year, perhaps a lagging effect of Covid. One standout is the debut by guitarist and composer Ribeiro, who leads a sextet with tenor and baritone saxophones in the front line. Love the eerie vocalization on the opening track. Space age and swinging.

Adrián Royo Trío — Pangea (Errabal Jazz)

This Spanish release initially caught my eye in the La Habitacion de Jazz blog because of the involvement of double bassist Manel Fortià. Strong original melodies and tight interplay make for a standout piano trio recording in a great year for piano trios.

Javier Burin — Escenarios (Los Años Luz Discos)

Another excellent but low-profile piano trio release this year. The assuredness and inventiveness of Argentinian Burin’s playing are the more remarkable given that he is only in his early twenties; check out especially the unlikely cover of “Tenor Madness.”

Marcus Eads — Pride of Ostego (self-released)

This Minnesotan has been putting out gentle Takoma-style guitar music for more than a decade. Strongly rooted in the rural midwestern landscape, his playing and homespun compositions call to mind back porches, canoe trips, and sitting by the fireside.

Scott Tuma — Nobody’s Music (Haha)

I was thrilled to stumble across this unheralded release recently by the Souled American alumnus and one of the architects of slowcore. Apparently first appearing last year on cassette, Nobody’s Music, coming six years after No Greener Grass, delivers more ambling and spindly acoustic guitar lines that seem to drip out of the instrument with the occasional accompaniment of what sounds like harmonica or accordion. Enchanting as always.

Mohamed Masmoudi — Villes Éternelles (Centre des Musiciens du Monde)

Canadian oud master Masmoudi creates a compelling blend of Arabic music and jazz in a percussion-less quartet also featuring clarinet, piano, and double bass. With top-notch musicianship and catchy tunes, the group shows how good world music fusion can sound.

Jorge Abadias — Camins (Underpool)

The Underpool label documents the lively Barcelona jazz scene. Its 2023 releases include this quartet date led by guitarist Abadias. His original post-bop (in the broad sense) compositions tend toward slower tempos, and fine soloing abounds.

Jakob Dreyer — Songs, Hymns, and Ballads Vol. 2 (self-released)

Another solid post-bop quartet recording featuring original compositions. Three U.S. musicians fill out German double bassist Dreyer’s quartet, and this second volume nicely complements Vol. 1 released last year.

Various Artists — You Better Mind: Southeastern Songs to Stop Cop City (self-released)

This project, spearheaded by the Magic Tuber String Band (who also released the outstanding Tarantism in 2023), brings together a broad swath of musicians, including Joseph Allred, Shane Parish, Sally Anne Morgan, Nathan Bowles, the Tubers themselves, and some I was unfamiliar with. The music tends toward the rustic; much of it is excellent, and the cause is as noble as they come.

Jim Marks

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

HORACE TAPSCOTT, UN INNOVATEUR D’EXCEPTION

“He saved Los Angeles when it comes to progressive music. Because if you were going to get involved in that, you had to come through Horace Tapscott.” 

- Dwight Trible

Né le 6 avril 1934 à Houston, au Texas, Horace Tapscott s’était installé à Los Angeles avec sa famille à l’âge de neuf ans. Issue d’une famille musicale, Tapscott était le fils de Mary Lou Malone, une tubiste et pianiste de stride.

C’est également à l’époque de son arrivée à que Tapscott avait commencé à apprendre le piano et le trombone. Durant son adolescence, Tapscott avait joué du trombone avec de futures sommités du jazz comme le saxophoniste Frank Morgan, le trompettiste Don Cherry et le batteur Billy Higgins.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Après avoir fait son service militaire avec la US Air Force au Wyoming, Tapscott était retourné à Los Angeles et avait joué du trombone avec différents groupes, dont ceux de Lionel Hampton de 1959 à 1961. Tapscott avait abandonné le trombone peu après pour se consacrer au piano.

Tapscott n’avait jamais tellement apprécié la vie de tournée. Lors d’une escale à Los Angeles en 1961, Tapscott était finalement sorti de l’autobus de tournée d’Hampton pour la dernière fois. Comme Tapscott l’avait expliqué au cours d’une entrevue qu’il avait accordée en 1982: “No one discovered I was gone until they got to Arizona.’’

Toujours en 1961, Tapscott avait formé son propre groupe appelé le Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, une formation qui avait pour but de préserver, de développer et de faire la promotion de la musique afro-américaine tout en prêchant les vertus de l’unité (ujamaa en langue swahili). Le groupe était formé à l’origine de Lester Robertson au trombone, d’Arthur Blythe, de Jimmy Woods et de Guido Sinclair aux saxophones, de David Bryant à la contrebasse et de Bill Madison à la batterie. Caractérisé par une instrumentation inusitée rappelant ses influences africaines, le groupe était souvent composé de deux ou trois bassistes, de deux ou trois percussionnistes et d’au moins un batteur. Outre ses influences africaines, le groupe s’inscrivait directement dans la lignée de la musique de pionniers du jazz comme  Art Tatum, Duke Ellington et Thelonious Monk, aussi bien que d’innovateurs contemporains comme Andrew Hill et Randy Weston

En 1963, le groupe s’était joint à une organisation plus vaste appelée la Underground Musicians Association (UGMA) qui avait adopté plus tard le nom d’Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA). Mais l’implication de Tapscott dépassait largement la musique. Lors des émeutes de Watts en 1965, le groupe se produisait sur un camion plateforme situé au milieu de la route lorsqu’il avait été interpellé par des policiers armés.

Très impliqué dans une communauté particulièrement marquée par le racisme, le groupe se produisait régulièrement dans les églises, les centres communautaires, les prisons et les hôpitaux souvent pour une bouchée de pain et remettait ses rares revenus au mouvement des Black Panthers, ce qui avait lui avait valu d’être surveillé étroitement par le FBI.

Le groupe avait aussi permis à plusieurs musiciens de la relève de se produire sur scène pour la première fois. Il avait également regroupé les musiciens de rue et efait connaître les arts aux jeunes enfants du ghetto. Parmi les membres successifs du groupe de Tapscott, on remarquait de futurs grands noms du jazz comme  Arthur Blythe, Stanley Crouch, Butch Morris, Wilber Morris, David Murray, Jimmy Woods, Kamau Daaood, Adele Sebastian, Phil Ranelin,  Sabir Mateen, Nate Morgan et Guido Sinclair. Doté d’une remarquable longévité, le groupe était demeuré en activité jusqu’à la mort de Tapscott en 1999.

Même si le 50e anniversaire du groupe était passé pratiquement inaperçu, les membres de la formation étaient déterminés à ce que la célébration de ses soixante années d’existence ne connaîtraient pas le même sort. À l’occasion de son 60e anniversaire de fondation en 2021, le groupe avait fait l’objet d’une compilation intitulée “60 Years’’ qui comprenait essentiellement des enregistrements inédits étalés sur les six décennies d’existence du groupe. Le saxophoniste Michel Session avait expliqué: ‘’We were like, ‘We’re going to make a product that will introduce a bunch of people to this band in a way that’s comprehensive and concise. This is for us, by us. We wanted to present something to the people from the band that can directly pay the band and support the band, and then be turned into other projects. It’s the first time the Ark has been able to do that, really.” 

La pièce "The Golden Pearl’’, qui avait été écrite en hommage à la grand-mère de Tapscott, mettait en vedette le jeune Arthur Blythe ainsi que le tromboniste Lester Robertson (aussi connu sous le surnom de Lately) et le bassiste David Bryant, un vétéran qui était toujours avec le groupe après avoir joint ses rangs trente ans plus tôt. L’album était également un hommage à un ex-membre du groupe, Herbert Baker, qui était décédé dans un accident automobile à l’âge de seulement vingt ans.

Six décennies après sa fondation, Session croyait que la mission du groupe n’avait pas vraiment changé et qu’il devait continuer d’innover et d’aller de l’avant. Session avait précisé: “I want to get weirder. I want to get back to how Horace did shows at prisons and high schools and colleges for free. We could sell out Carnegie Hall and then come home and do the same set for 50, 60 cats. I want that balance. It sounds impossible, but we can do it.”

Lorsqu’il s’était joint au groupe, le chanteur Dwight Trible faisait partie d’une autre formation, mais il désirait absolument faire partie de l’Arkestra. Deux semaines après s’être produit avec le chanteur dans le cadre du même festival, Tapscott avait invité Trible à se joindre au groupe. Trible racontait: “He said, ‘I want you to come to my house tomorrow at 3 o’clock,’ and he hung up the phone. And just about every concert that Horace played from that time on, I sang with him in some capacity.” Le saxophoniste Michael Session s’était joint à l’Arkestra durant son adolescence. Il poursuivait: “I’m 13 and my first gig with the Ark is with Azar Lawrence. It’s actually a very humbling thing to be a medium, a conduit for the ancestors trying to spread this vibration as far and as hard as possible.” Session avait fait partie plus tard des groupes de Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner et Freddie Hubbard.

Même s’il avait enregistré un premier album intitulé “The Giant Is Awakened’’ avec un quintet en 1969, Tapscott il n’avait publié un premier album avec l’Arkestra qu’en 1978. Intitulé ‘’The Call’’, l’album était un mélange de bebop, de free jazz, de ballades très influencées par le blues et d’arrangements orchestraux. Comprenant le grand succès ‘’Flight 17’’, l’album mettait notamment en vedette le légendaire contrebassiste Red Callender.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

En 1995, l’Arkestra s’était produit dans le cadre du festival de Moers en Allemagne où il avait remporté un grand succès. Tapscott était sur le point s’obtenir enfin la reconnaissance qu’il méritait lorsqu’il était mort d’un double cancer du cerveau et des poumons le 27 février 1999 à l’âge de soixante-quatre ans.

Le lendemain de sa mort, Tapscott devait faire l’objet d’un concert en son honneur au parc Leimart de Los Angeles. Une plaque en hommage à Tapscott a d’ailleurs été érigée dans le parc sur laquelle on pouvait lire: "Horace Tapscott, the local pianist and organizer whose ensemble, the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, gave many musicians their first gigs and helped heal a community impacted by racism." Les archives, arrangements et enregistrements de Tapscott ont été légués en 2003 par sa veuve Cecilia Tapscott à la bibliothèque de l’Université de Californie à Los Angeles (UCLA) sous le nom de UCLA Horace Tapscott Jazz Collection. Les admirateurs de Tapscott avaient fondé deux compagnies de disques en son honneur dans les années 1970 et 1980, Interplay et Nimbus, avec lesquelles il avait enregistré.

Un an avant la mort de Tapscott en 1999, l’Arkestra avait enregistré un album live intitulé Why Don’t You Listen ? Enregistré au Los Angeles County Museum of Art, l’album comprenait en exergue le leitmotiv caractéristique: ‘’Notre musique est contributive plutôt que compétitive.’’ Sur la pièce ‘’Little Africa’’, on retrouvait également une citation du Black National Anthem qui stipulait: ‘’Que notre joie s’élève haut dans les cieux qui écoutent.’’

Le site Allmusic.com. décrivait ainsi le style de Tapscott: "His pianistic technique was hard and percussive, likened by some to that of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols and every bit as distinctive. In contexts ranging from freely improvised duos to highly arranged big bands, Tapscott exhibited a solo and compositional voice that was his own." De son côté, le saxophoniste Michael Session avait commenté: “He was way more interested in feeling and sounding like himself with his friends, who were also really unique.’’

Très peu connu en dehors de Los Angeles, Tapscott avait fait très peu de tournées et n’avait pas enregistré avec des compagnies de disques majeures. Reconnaissant le rôle de pionnier de Tapscott, le chanteur Dwight Trible, qui se produisait avec le groupe depuis 1987, avait ajouté:  “He saved Los Angeles when it comes to progressive music. Because if you were going to get involved in that, you had to come through Horace Tapscott.” 

Au cours des dernières années, des musiciens comme le rappeur vedette Kendrick Lamar, le saxophoniste Kamasi Washington, le bassiste Thundercat et le producteur et multi-instrumentiste Terrace Martin avaient contribué à raviver l’intérêt pour la musique de Tapscott. À la même époque, plusieurs compagnies de disques avaient également réédité les albums de Tapscott. Comme Washington l’avait expliqué en 2015:  ’’J'aime sa musique, sa philosophie et tout ce qu'il a fait pour la communauté dans laquelle j'ai grandi’’. Quant à la clarinettiste de Chicago, Angel Bat Dawid, elle avait commenté: ’’Je suis bénie de pouvoir jouer la musique d'Horace Tapscott, l'un de mes héros.’’ Une dizaine d’années auparavant, le rappeur Madblib avait également rendu hommage à Tapscott dans le cadre de l’album Horace enregistré avec le Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

DENIS, Jacques. ‘’Horace Tapscott, figure free jazz ressuscitée.’’ Libération, 15 août 2019.

‘’Horace Tapscott.’’ Wikipedia, 2024.

JOBE, Danen. ‘’ Horace Tapscott: 60 Years.’’ All About Jazz, 16 juillet 2023.

MOORE, Marcus J. ‘’Horace Tapscott Was a Force in L.A. Jazz. A New Set May Expand His Reach.’’ New York Times, 15 juin 2023.

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (2/1/24) Evelyn De Morgan (British, 1855-1919) The Gilded Cage (c. 1900-19) Oil on canvas, 89.5 x 106.7 cm. The De Morgan Centre, London

An overriding theme in Evelyn De Morgan’s work was Women’s Suffrage; this can best be illustrated by her iconic painting "The Gilded Cage." In the painting a young woman, dressed in sumptuous gold robes, looks wistfully at revellers outside, jewels and books lay discarded, on the floor by her feet. Her entrapment in a patriarchal society which dictated her confinement in the domestic sphere is echoed by the golden caged canary in the top right of the painting. The inscriptions on the spines of the books on the shelf are in Italian and read “Poesia”; “Musica”, “Arte”; “Mors”, “Tratta-to-della”; “Medicin” (poetry, music; art; death; interpretations; medicine).

[chemzee]

also sorry i know you said you're currently on a morgan kick but i've been dying to know more about te and v. what's dulces sueños de las almas anhelantes? why are these kids wanted by the authorities? who is the host?

OH MY GOD DUDE WHOEVER YOU ARE THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS I LOVE YOUUU 🧡🧡🧡🧡 YOU ARE THE BEST 😭😭😭

OOF I doubt I could be able to tell everything because there's SO MUCH TO TELL. But I'll try to be as brief as possible.

Dulces Sueños de las Almas Anhelantes (or Sweet Dreams of Yearning Souls) is a personal project of mine, which I had been developing and writing for almost 4 years now.

I wanna turn it into a series or comic some day (although it was at first thought of as a game but my ass has no idea how coding or game design works do yeah), high chances are, it might not happen because I'm lazy so blep. ✌

(‼️TW for some rather sensitive/uncomfortable topics‼️)

It follows the story of, primarily, 4 people, who are stuck in a weird Wonderland like place, as they go down a memory lain and recall events that led them there. Each of them has a unique narrative style which reflects the way they think/perceive the world/how they compiled their stories. These 4 people are Doc, Man in Red, V and Te (artworks of them shown in order (Doc and Man in red are old artworks and I wanna redesign them)), although V and T are THE main characters/protagonists.

Action takes place in a fictional country that is sorta like combination of Spain and England, that has suffered from an unusual sudden epidemy of unknown disease that sets everyone into panic, yet suspiciously, government does nothing. The four characters in question rebel against that, which leads to them being persecuted by the government (which is hard due to their anonymity). (NOTE THAT IT'S NOT BASED ON ANY REAL LIFE EPIDEMIC!!! It's a fictional disease that has no basis on any real diseases or real epidemics)

Te and V are couple of besties™ who are two teenagers who due to their own personal motives are taken in under the guidance of Becca (I have art of her but no reference yet) , a lady who owns an unusual private investigation centre, that uses unconventional means of solving cases. She insures that the identities of her workers and students are protected, which is why they go by codenames, in case of Te and V they are Number 4 (Quarte) and Number 5 (V) respectively.

V is a detective in training, who aspires to become a professional investigator when she becomes older. And she's a good one at that: not only is she smart but also determined, she's not gonna stop until she won't find out the truth (I like to joke that's she's a professional doxxer for a reason).

Te is also a detective of sorts, but it's not exactly what they focuse more on (and tbf they's not looking to pursue this career + V is a lot better detective). They are a medium, as they can hear the voices of the dead and they seek to help those souls fulfill their "unfinished business".

All the 4 characters stumble upon many enemies and foes, even considering each other their obstacles, but the most formidable one of them all is The Host. (Another old artwork and another character I wanna redesign)

The Host, as it seems at first, is their biggest ally: he, just like the 4 , protests against Government's passivity. Beginning as a humble news presenter, he then becomes progressively more relevant in news media, as he calls for action. He takes a particular interest in all 4 protagonists, as he thinks of them as most reliable sources for his campaign to succeed. Believing that he can get away with everything, he's determined to do anything in his power to make these 4 join his side, no matter the cost, no matter their economical situation, health issues, employment, personal life or age.

[havaforever]

NORMAN FOSTER - Rétrospective au Centre Pompidou

Un planeur en suspension. Une voiture de collection. Un camping-car aérodynamique. Un dôme géodésique. Des sculptures de Brancusi. Un bronze de Boccioni… Non, ce n’est pas une chanson de Boris Vian. C’est le cœur de l’exposition Norman Foster », une exposition d’architecture qui excède largement les frontières du genre.

C’est la première fois que la discipline qu’on appelle « mère de tous les arts » a les honneurs de la Galerie 1, l’espace le plus prestigieux de l’institution parisienne.

Patron d’une agence de 1 800 salariés dont il n’est pas exagéré de dire qu’elle a remodelé, en quelques décennies, la face de notre monde et reconfiguré la manière dont on y vit, Norman Foster est présenté ici comme un démiurge qui n’aurait jamais renoncé à ses rêves d’enfant et qui aurait même mis toute sa puissance au service de leur réalisation.

Un garçon issu d’un milieu modeste, fils d’un comptable et d’une caissière, qui s’est hissé au firmament des architectes (il a reçu le prix Pritzker en 1999), a été anobli par la reine Elizabeth II (en 1999 également), qui collectionne les voitures prototypiques et pilote des avions dès qu’il en a l’occasion (il en aurait essayé soixante-quinze types différents, du planeur à l’avion de ligne).

L’entrée dans l’espace principal de l’exposition dévoile une diversité de maquettes et de manière de les faire que les étudiants en architecture apprécieront certainement. En filigrane de ces immenses modèles réduits qui côtoient des détails à l’échelle 1, c’est l’histoire professionnelle de l’architecte britannique qui se donne à lire : ses rencontres, particulièrement celle avec Buckminster Fuller, et sa principale rupture, celle avec la Team Four et Richard Rogers en 1963, point de départ de l’agence Foster + Partners.

Norman Foster se défend, dans une interview accordée au commissaire de l’exposition Frédéric Migayrou d’une «architecture intemporelle». Il semble surtout se servir de cette exposition pour réécrire son histoire de concepteur. Car cet événement, le starchitecte en est à l’origine : il l’a conçue et financée, en partenariat avec sa propre fondation, la Norman Foster Foundation, et des partenaires privés, Bloomberg, J.P. Morgan et JCDecaux.